Thirty-nine states and Washington, D.C. added construction jobs between May 2018 and May 2019, according to analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). The 12-month increase is largely consistent with data reported by the AGC in recent months. The AGC reported 43 states added construction jobs between April 2018 and April 2019, 38 states added jobs between March 2018 and 2019, and 37 states added jobs between February 2018 and February 2019.
The AGC also reported 31 states and D.C. added construction jobs from April to May. The pattern of month-to-month changes has stagnated, according to the AGC. Thirty-two states and D.C. added construction jobs between March and April after 29 states added jobs between February and March and only 16 added jobs between January and February.
“Construction demand remains strong, and contractors increased their workforce in most states over the past year, yet the record number of job openings at the end of April implies contractors would add even more workers if they could,” AGC chief economist Ken Simonson said. “With the unemployment rate now near a 50-year low, it is more challenging than ever for contractors to hire and retain qualified employees.”
California, Florida, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin added the most jobs between April and May in pure numbers, while North Dakota, Nevada, and California added the highest percentage of jobs between April and May. New York lost the most construction jobs in the month of May while West Virginia experienced the steepest percentage loss of construction jobs between April and May.
Texas and California added the most construction jobs in pure numbers in the past year, according to the AGC, while West Virginia, Nevada, Arizona, and North Dakota added the highest percentage of construction jobs in the past year. Construction employment reached record highs in Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, and Washington. Louisiana experienced the largest number of jobs lost in the past year and the steepest percentage of construction jobs lost in the same period.